March was packed with birthdays, competitions, and tons of family fun!
The first weekend in March, Jeff and the boys headed to Benton for the State Swim Championships. Thad qualified to compete in 4 events. He swam in three of those events over the course of the weekend. He took 2nd place in the 50m breaststroke and 4th place in both the 50m backstroke and 50m butterfly. We are so proud of his accomplishments and how he and Eli continue to push themselves to be better swimmers.
That weekend the girls and I celebrated Anna's 7th birthday with some friends from church. She enjoyed jumping at the Monkey House, eating Frozen cupcakes, and playing with her friends. One of her favorite gifts from that party was her new hobby horse...er...unicorn. Anna enjoys playing with her dolls, talking, and pizza!
The following Monday, I received a call from school that Anna had passed out. After 5 hours in the E.R. and numerous tests, the doctor found no definitive reason for why it happened. Thankfully, she suffered no after effects or concussion symptoms and has not had any issues since.
The next weekend the boys competed in the annual Piano Festival. Both chose advanced pieces and received the highest rating: Superior. It is a joy to hear them progress in their skills and see how much they enjoy playing! That day Anna also got to Skype while opening her birthday present from Grandma and Grandpa. We are so thankful for technology that allows us to stay in touch and celebrate special moments!
The next week brought the end of the third quarter and school and with it parent teacher conferences. All of the kids received glowing reports and their grades reflected their hard work. That Friday, all the kids had off of school so we headed to Nana and Papa's. We had fun starting work on a playhouse for all the grandkids.
The third weekend, we headed to the pool in Ozark where we met up with Nana, Papa, and the Anderson Family. Livi, Anna, and Eden all celebrate birthdays in March so we had a joint party complete with pizza, cupcakes, brownies, and pool time. Some of Eden's favorite gifts were an Elsa dress and shoes. Anna LOVES her new music box.
The next week brought a reprieve from our regularly scheduled activities. Spring Break 2021 included a trip to the Little Rock Zoo, the Amazeum Kids Museum, and ice skating at the Jones Center. We were blessed with gorgeous weather for the zoo and fun was had by all. A highlight from the Amazeum was the new building block exhibit. It was fun and challenging to try and build intricate designs with the blocks. Ice Skating was a blast. None of the girls had been before and they all did great! We were thrilled that rather then giving up after several falls, they just kept getting up and trying again.
The month came to a close with another birthday celebration for Eden. It is hard to believe that she is now 5 years old. She enjoyed having "circle" cinnamon rolls for breakfast and getting to Skype with Grandma and Grandpa. Her favorite gift from that morning is the new doctor coat and instruments. We and the dogs have now had several check-ups! Eden loves singing and listening to music, riding her bike, and learning to read.
Whew...what an exciting month! We are so thankful for all the amazing things we were able to do, for the birthdays we celebrated, and for our Savior who has blessed us immeasurably. We hope that as Easter draws near, you too are thankful for Jesus who died for you and rose again, defeating sin and death!
